Chicken cacciatore recipe

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• Olive oil
• 125 g oyster mushrooms
• 125 g chestnut mushrooms
• 4 rashers of smoked pancetta
• 2–3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 2 jarred red peppers
• 1 small handful of black olives (stone in)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 60 ml Chianti
• 700 g passata
• 1 bunch of fresh basil

• 320 g dried wholewheat spaghetti
• 30 g Parmesan cheese

1. Cut the chicken into 1 cm chunks, then put into the large frying pan with 2 tablespoons of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Roughly chop the mushrooms, finely slice the pancetta, then add both to the pan with the rosemary leaves, anchovies and torn-up peppers. Squash and add the olives (discarding the stones), then turn the heat up to medium-high, tossing regularly until golden.
2. Put the pasta into the large pan, cover with boiling salted water and cook according to packet instructions. Squash the unpeeled garlic through a garlic crusher into the chicken pan. Finely slice and add the chilli, pour in the wine and passata, then season to taste. Tear in and stir through most of the top leafy half of the basil.
3. Finely grate the Parmesan. Drain the pasta, reserving a cupful of the starchy cooking water, then tip on to a platter and spoon over the sauce. Scatter with the remaining basil leaves and the grated Parmesan. Toss together, loosening with a splash of cooking water, if needed.